Headlines

On Fox News Sunday this morning, however, Cain imitated Sarah Palin’s blank stare when Chris Wallace asked him about the right of return. “The right of return?” he said. After Wallace explained the Palestinian demand to return to the homes they were “thrown out of” [sic!] in 1948, Cain said that would be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians. “I don’t think Israel has any problem with Palestinians’ returning,” he said.

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Trackbacks/Pings

Comments

Time will tell. Keep in mind the MSM is going to do whatever they can to totally destroy the GOP nominee. Chris Matthews has been in full sexist hate mode against Palin and Bachmann for some time. We are fooling ourselves if we think we will find a GOP nominee who fails to stumble on a question. Better to do it early before everyone is paying attention or in a Presidential debate with Obama. I think Cain would run circles around Obama in a debate.

Blue Collar Todd on May 22, 2011 at 2:40 PM

You forgot racist. After all, that could be the only reason a journalist could ask tough questions of a black man, right?

We have a president who said their was 57 states in the country. This is minor.

The difference is, nobody sane thinks that Obama really doesn’t know how many states there are. That was just a verbal slip, which people should stop bringing up every time a Republican shows they don’t know some important fact, because it’s so obviously not at all equivalent.

I don’t get how one question can totally wipe out a candidate’s credibility. Yeah, he probably should be familiar with that one aspect of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, but I think most of you are being pretty over dramatic.

Living4Him5534 on May 22, 2011 at 1:40 PM

it is a matter of naratives. narritives are formed by the media or a candidates actions. If the candidate does things to reninforce that narrative the narrative becomes harder to get rid of. the narrative on Cain after the debate is he was weak on foreign policy. Instead of studying up cain doubled down with his press release on Afgan war after the debate. Now this. He is reninforcing the narrative and it will not stick to him and it becomes harder for him to shake the narrative. Now the media smelling blood will alwys include a foreign polcy question in their interviews with Cain. each time he answers incorectly the narrative will become more pronounced.

the same thing as Fred and his no fire in his belly. Every action from that point on was viewd in that context. those that reinforced that narrative was played up. Until the narrative was impossible for Fred to refute.

this is also btw the narratives on Palin do not stick and ruin her. like the “quitter” meme. Since her resignation PAlin has never “quit” anything else in fact she has done the exact oppositie working her butt off. same with the “stupid” meme. Her interviews and speeches have been filled with facts figures good solid opinions etc. Palin understands about narratives and how to defeat them.

Cain has yet to learn and with his low base of support, low money on hand I doubt he has the time to learn.

I really do like Herman alot and would have no problems voting for him if he gets the nomination. I just don’t think he will do that, sad to say. I feel sure Herman would have people around him, if he did get to the wh, to be the best he could find. Time will tell on how this comes out.
L

You guys should watch the video!! This is a FALSE portrayal of what he said.

bigred on May 22, 2011 at 2:48 PM

No, it’s accurate. He was lost for a moment, repeated “right of return” twice, and although rightly saying it was Israel’s decision whether to accept refugee descendants, to claim Israel wouldn’t have a problem with “them returning” was the antithesis of Netanyahu’s own statement earlier. He could have echoed or referenced Bibi directly–an easy out. So, it was a failure to understand the term and Netanyahu’s position articulated mere days ago.

I still like him, though, and I trust that he can overcome much of this with strong foreign policy advisers.

Agreed about the narrative/meme building. I think he should have anticipated this, but hopefully that business/media-savvy side will kick in and he’ll be more prepared next time. I’m not counting him out yet…

Secondly, Wallace falsely stated that Palestinians had been “kicked out” of Israel. They were not “kicked out”. Many stayed and are in Israel to this day. Many left voluntarily on the assumption that Arab armies were going to destroy Israel and they would return, not only to their own land and homes, but also to take over the land and homes of the slaughtered Jews. Didn’t work out for them. Too bad.

On the other hand, Jews were expelled from Arab countries, at least those who were not murdered in their homes by their Arab neighbors. Israel took them in. The defeated Arab countries who are actually responsible for the problem, on the other hand, have refused to accept the so-called Palestinian refugees.

I expect better from Wallace, and Cain needs to do better at recognizing false premises and false dichotomies issuing from ignorant or agenda driven “journalists”.

I for one am more concerned about the direction of this country first. If our country continues on this path of destruction, China and Russia will be dictating to the rest of the world their positions on foreign policy.

I expect better from Wallace, and Cain needs to do better at recognizing false premises and false dichotomies issuing from ignorant or agenda driven “journalists”.

novaculus on May 22, 2011 at 3:24 PM

Therein lies your mistake, and probably Cain’s as well. Fox News, despite it’s portrayal by the left, is no friend of the conservative. Chris Wallace sees people like Cain as “insurgent” candidates and is no fan. Cain should have known better and been better versed on the issue. Bush league.

but hopefully that business/media-savvy side will kick in and he’ll be more prepared next time. I’m not counting him out yet…

Bee on May 22, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Maybe Some are able to do it like Palin some can’t like quayle or Fred.

The problem as I see it is a savvy business man has a different skill set than a savvy politican. they handle problems different. a CEO faced with problems delagtes those problems to his underlings to fix/take care off. He is the idea man he sets the course and the ship goes where and how he directs. He is not a person for self relfection.

A savvy politican OTHO has thier finger to the wind and listens and feels the minute changes in that wind and corrects before the wind can capsize the boat.

a savvy media person sees strengths and weaknesses and is able to play up one or the other to get a result desired.

All different skill sets with some overlap but wit enough difference to sink one who plays in another’s pond.

Of course the best leaders are those with strong skill sets in all three areas.

for instance a person with a BS in journalism, a small successful business owner and 20 years of local, state and national politcs expericence……..

Yes, it is. He said, “I don’t think they [the Israelis] have a big problem with people [Palestinians] returning.”

Secondly, Wallace falsely stated that Palestinians had been “kicked out” of Israel. They were not “kicked out”. Many stayed and are in Israel to this day. Many left voluntarily on the assumption that Arab armies were going to destroy Israel and they would return, not only to their own land and homes, but also to take over the land and homes of the slaughtered Jews. Didn’t work out for them. Too bad.

True. Yet Cain didn’t know enough to call Chris Wallace out on his misrepresentation of what happened circa 1948.

On the other hand, Jews were expelled from Arab countries, at least those who were not murdered in their homes by their Arab neighbors. Israel took them in. The defeated Arab countries who are actually responsible for the problem, on the other hand, have refused to accept the so-called Palestinian refugees.

Again, Cain should have pointed that out, as well.

I expect better from Wallace, and Cain needs to do better at recognizing false premises and false dichotomies issuing from ignorant or agenda driven “journalists”.

Oh Mercy Cain. I had hopes for you, but if you are that out of touch about the middle east, well…

Don’t hate me folks. Cain might be the right guy some other time, but he is probably not right for this time in history. Whoever takes the top spot will be dealing with the middle east/Israel/islamists more often than not. 2016, I’d be willing to look at him again and see where he is. For this round, I’d still consider VP but thats it.